All of us Indian girls could write a book on the dos and don’ts for “good”/ “decent” girls that parents and others around us have been trying to instil in us since childhood. According to society, these are the hallmarks of being a “good Indian girl”. We've come to the horrifying conclusion that we're just not. And if this is what it takes, why should we be?!
Sunset spells doom, and you ain’t Cinderella.
Demurely, with downcast eyes and folded hands. Only
Or any other cuss words. No matter how frustrated they are.
Moral policing begins at home.
They will corrupt us, you see.
Voicing your opinion makes you a rebellious girl. Rebels are bad.
Why else will someone marry you? (Regular girls, however, tend to learn how to cook in order to keep themselves fed.)
Because there will be boys, booze and dancing, and we should stay away from all of that. Chhee!
They don’t argue with anyone at all.
Back-benchers are the worst and will always remain faaltu.
They know best, no? (We're not against arranged marriages. Just the idea that we don't get to make an informed choice!)
Parampara, beti, parampara.
Tauba tauba! Most regular girls are kinda "character-less" by this particular metric.
We’re demure angels after all.
Our parents will choose for us. So what is the point?
Fine, this one we can get behind. A little namaste, please and shukriya never hurt anyone. :)
And they visit the temple/church/mosque once a week at least.
They’re only allowed to work in the kitchen. And areas of the house that need safaai.
They rise early because sleeping in is proof of slovenliness. Regular girls get up early to tackle the day with gusto.
So that their husbands are free to further their careers. (Regular girls also take care of their kids, but because they want to be good moms.)
Men are always right.
If you’ve ticked off all the points on this list, rest assured that you are a certified “good Indian girl”. And if you haven’t, if you’re just a regular girl, then, congratulations, you're just like us - which is all kinds of awesome. :)
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